Insects 2016 part 2

[James G]

Another less agressive subject from Moseley Bog

#1 Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, Agapanthia villoviridescens


#2 Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, Agapanthia villoviridescens

[rudi]

I've found a similar looking all black wasp like creature today, Rudi; and at the moment I don't have any idea of identity either.

As far as I'm aware carrot flies have clear wings so I wonder if you have one of the Picture-winged Flies. But that all covering description applies to several families and at the moment I don't recognise it.

Thanks Geoff. I was told by an 'older' gardener it could be a carrot fly. After checking I assume it is not a carrot fly.
Idea's on good recourses (books, bugsites....) for ID are most welcome. !!

[rudi]

So, here's the thing... this sequence is not the best, and frankly I got a bit nervous over the second and third.

I've encountered Cleg Flies before, (Horseflies), and I've been bitten.. .. she got squashed....!

In the line off my work, I encounter them a lot, and most in hot humid conditions... They usually get squashed, iff I am able to. Never thought off 'shooting' them, seems very strange...
Good shot by the way !!

[marlunn]

fab longhorn James, I managed to get an image of one in Wisby Nature reserve in Lincoln last year - however, as I am sans my macro lens at the moment ( away with sigma ) not a lot happening here, but this was one from Lincoln a week or so ago - its a common Blue Damselfly - honest - he thinks you cant see him!

[James G]

Never thought off 'shooting' them, seems very strange...

Sorry Rudi, 'english' is a perverse and strange language sometimes. We have 'Photo Shoots', Use a camera to get a 'shot' of an insect and just ocasionally use a 'bow' to shoot an arrow while taking a 'bow' when we are accepting an award or being congratulated. It's a wonder anybody manages to learn it!

[Geoff F]

Insect identification resources can be difficult to find, Rudi. It partly depends on how serious you are about the subject and how much money you are willing to spend on specialist books.

I always found the Wild About Britain website to be very useful for sharing information and asking for help but the site closed last year after it was hacked. It is now back again although still in a reduced form and some of the experts have returned but it doesn't yet have the wide range of specialist skills which previously inhabited the site.

There are a number of very general sites and some more specialist ones where I go to check particular species.

Dipterists Forum is a good resource for contacting real experts such as those who write the books etc. But you have to sign up to the scheme and there is a small charge for full membership.

http://www.dipteristsforum.org.uk/forums.php

I use quite a few identification books but some can be a bit complex. My main sources are British Hoverflies by Stubbs and Falk; Britain's Hoverflies by Ball and Morris; British Soldierflies and their Allies by Stubbs and Drake.

Also specialist books on Dragonflies, Ladybirds, Shieldbugs, Harvestmen, Butterflies, etc.

A comprehensive guide to Insects of Britain and Ireland by Paul Brock is a fairly new general guide which is useful and has good photos although some of the identification text is a bit basic.

The Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk is another very comprehensive new work but the bee keys are still tricky to use when working just from photos.

Some of my other literature includes, British Sawflies by Adam Wright which is one of the Aidgap publications (Field Studies Council). They produce a range of useful booklets. Also, Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Waring and Townsend. Harrap's Wild Flowers. And a few others.

However, for European mainland insects you could look for some of the Van Veen books. Is his first name Mark?

There is a German site which is good for beetles.

http://www.kerbtier.de/enindex.html

[Spam]

The humble African bee. I'd like to be able to say that I noticed them buzzing around the Aloe Africana at the entrance to my office building and just quickly snapped off a couple of shots, but, actually, it took around 160 carefully focused attempts just to obtain these two images with the bees in midair and relatively sharp. In the rest the bees were all crawling, blurred or had zipped out of frame. Maybe bees were a bit ambitious for my first attempt at insect photography ... perhaps I should have started with something a bit slower, like dung beetles.

[Wavelength]

Very very very interesting images...... liked all of them!!!

[Cantab]

The humble African bee. I'd like to be able to say that I noticed them buzzing around the Aloe Africana at the entrance to my office building and just quickly snapped off a couple of shots, but, actually, it took around 160 carefully focused attempts just to obtain these two images with the bees in midair and relatively sharp. In the rest the bees were all crawling, blurred or had zipped out of frame. Maybe bees were a bit ambitious for my first attempt at insect photography ... perhaps I should have started with something a bit slower, like dung beetles.

Simon, interesting photos – particularly to see African honeybees in their natural habitat.

They are perceived to be a problem here in parts of North America. I'm not an expert on the subject but there is a detailed description of the issue in the world-famous source of all knowledge, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanized_bee .

I've been trying to take pictures of bees this year but a good many of the photos have been rear end views!

[James G]

A few more from today.....A large Skipper (first this year), A Scarab Beetle and a Red Velvet Spider Mite.

#1 Large Skipper Male,Ochlodes sylvanus


#2 Large Skipper Male,Ochlodes sylvanus


#3 Scarab Beetle, Aphodius sp


#4 Scarab Beetle, Aphodius sp and Red velvet Spider Mite, Trombidium holosericeum


Sometimes, just sometimes, there's enough depth of field....

[rudi]

Trying to catch up..... work is taking up too much time recently...well maybe next year...

Insect identification resources can be difficult to find, Rudi. It partly depends on how serious you are about the subject and how much money you are willing to spend on specialist books...

Thanks a lot for your detailed write-up Geoff.
abt 'how serious '... I will try to explain in my best English ... well, I Always try to improve my photography and my knowledge about 'things' . Sometimes I can take half decent pictures from bugs, and my next step up to the ladder is a name with that bug. For now I am happy iff I know the Genus, a species name would be great, what will be the next step I guess...

[rudi]

a few spiders

1: a jumping spider


2: a jung Garden spider (abt 5mm long)


3: a harvestman

[DickyOZ]

Common Crow butterfly.

[Geoff F]

You have done better than me with the Large Skipper, James. I have taken a few shots but couldn't quite manage those angles.

Your Harvestman looks like a male Phalangium opilio to me, Rudi, although it is perhaps still a little early for them here in the UK.

Jumping Spiders always look good.

So here are a few of my spiders. A female Pardosa carrying her egg sac.



And one of the Xysticus species lying in wait for the next victim.



While we are looking at scary creatures, a Scorpionfly from a different angle.

[Geoff F]

Not completely sure about this spiky Tachinidae family fly. Possibly Exorista larvarum.



Have I posted this Green-veined White before?

[marlunn]

A last few images taken on my macro lens before it got wrapped up and shipped back to Sigma to sort out the OS -

Common Blue Damsels - Enallagma cyathigerum coupled



Migrant Hawker - Aeshna mixta lunching on a common blue damsel ! -



Broad Bodied Chaser - Libellula depressa



4 Spot Chaser - Libellula quadrimaculata, not too easy to see the spots but it is ! I was kneeling on a rickety 'bridge' across the water to get this close and while i could see it at a better angle I could not move to that angle



all at Llanelli WWT

[Geoff F]

Good shots, Mark, and you are ahead of me; so far this year I haven't seen any mating damsels or Migrant Hawkers and the only Broad-bodied chasers have been flying past too high.

[marlunn]

Hi Geoff, must admit was really pleased with day at Llanelli WWT - it was a good week weather wise to the weekend and moved a lot on in the insect world

[James G]

Geoff, that's a really nice shot of the scorpion fly! As regards the Skipper, it's the first I've seen this year and it stayed put in a very obliging manner

Mark... envious of the dragons.... (very welsh) Havn't seen any around here yet!

[Geoff F]

I have started seeing a few moths now, but they are a scruffy lot; which is due to all this wind and rain. Anyway here is a small sample.

Common White Wave.



Cypress Carpet well hidden against the background.



Pretty Chalk Carpet.



Iron Prominent. This is a new species for me, so I would have liked to find one in better condition.